Liverpool could correct a transfer mistake made in 2021 by beating Chelsea and Manchester City to a Premier League star with an attractive release clause.
Back in the 2020/21 season, Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott shined during his loan spell with Championship side Blackburn Rovers. In his first season playing official men's football, Elliott scored seven goals and more impressively scored 11 goals for Tony Mowbray's team.
In fact, he has performed so well when he returns to Liverpool to prepare for the season next summer, he is already part of Jürgen Klopp's first team plans.
Somehow, though, Elliott wasn't the most impressive teen talent in that second tier at the time. Instead, that honor went to Reading's Michael Olise, who scored equal to his opponent but added an assist, and was eventually named the Championship Young Player of the Season.
Olise, who is also a member of the PFA Team of the Year, has attracted interest from Liverpool and many other top European clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Napoli and Monaco (via TeamTalk).
Ultimately, though, the Frenchman will sign for Crystal Palace, and it's looked like a powerful coup for the Eagles ever since.
He has only scored four goals in 63 Premier League appearances but most importantly, he has scored a commendable 16 goals in that span. Last season, a total of 11 assists put him third in the league, behind only Mohamed Salah (12) and Kevin de Bruyne (16), and seventh in Europe's five major leagues overall. Olise is also in the top 10 for expected assists (8.7), showing that he is creating high-quality chances and not just relying on unusually good shots.
He has seven caps for France's under-21 team, featured in the squad for the European Championships last month and is certain to feature in the senior squad in the not-too-distant future after establishing himself as one of the tournament's top young talents.
Indeed, Olise has been named Selhurst Park's Player of the Season, and it's absolutely no surprise when you read glowing verdicts like these from teammate Joel Ward.
"Michael has a special talent," he told football.london. "The world is his oyster and he is getting better game by game, so I think he will reach new heights and set the standard. If he continues like this, he'll move on to the specials.
"They [Olise and teammate Eberechi Eze] definitely make my life a little bit easier when I can pass the ball to them, and they will do their magic!"
Olise has impressed so much that both Chelsea and Manchester City have put him on the list of transfer targets this summer, recognizing the opportunity for a big deal thanks to the player's $45m (£35m/€40m) release clause (via Fabrizio Romano).
French outlet RMC Sport have claimed Chelsea have made a bid worth more than that - $50m (£39m/€45m) - and it could be a bid to overtake Manchester City.
Is it possible that Liverpool will return to the race and compete with this offer? Well, it's worth pointing out that Olise would represent a very different type of winger than Salah. Yes, he is a one-on-one threat just like the Egyptian, who finished 10th in the league for successful shots last season (54), but he has been described as a wide assist rather than a wide goalscorer.
This is reflected in his total of 242 crosses in the 2022/23 season, beaten only by Trent Alexander-Arnold (252) and Newcastle United's Kieran Trippier (195).
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